SBI 3U

Anatomy of a Mushroom Lab

BACKGROUND
The top of the mushroom, the part that sticks up above the surface, is the most colorful part. It can be
shaped like a cup, a shelf or an umbrella. It is actually only a small part of the mushroom. The rest of the fungus,
the part that takes in nourishment, grows below the surface. The hidden part is called the mycelium. The mycelium
is made of a mass of threadlike structures called hyphae. This part of the mushroom acts like the stems, roots and
leaves of green plants by taking in the food to make the mushroom grow. After the mycelium has grown to a
certain point, the part of the mushroom that you see above the surface develops. This part is called the fruiting
body. The fruiting body contains the material that will create new mushrooms.
Mushrooms like to live in dark, damp places. They feed off of the decaying matter around them using
mycelium. As the mushroom grows, it develops spores in the gills. The gills are located on the underside of the
cap. New mushrooms grow from these spores. The spores are so tiny that you can’t see them without a microscope.
Millions of spores together would look like fine powder. Millions of spores are released from the gills and are
dispersed. When conditions are right, the spores germinate sending out tiny threads called hyphae (single: hypha).
In order for the hyphae to develop and eventually produce a mushroom, they have to find other hyphae that are
“compatible”. When two “compatible” hyphae meet, they fuse together to form a network of threads called a
mycelium. The mycelium eventually forms what is known as a hyphal knot which grows and develops into a
pinhead which in turn grows and develops into a fruiting body (the portion of the mushroom above ground).

The species of mushroom used in this activity is the common commercially produced variety, Agaricus
bisporus. The mushroom itself is not the whole fungal organism, but rather only the fruiting body which is
responsible for producing reproductive spores. The majority of the mycelium remains buried when the mushroom
is picked.
Though they serve the same reproductive purpose as the seeds of flowering plants, fungal spores differ
from seeds in several ways. Spores are haploid (e.g., they contain half the full set of genetic material), have no
stored food source, and are released by the millions.
It is always dangerous for anyone except an expert to pick mushrooms in the wild. Many mushrooms that
look harmless can be fatal if you eat them. Just touching some species can cause severe skin irritation.

PURPOSE
1. To examine and dissect a commercial mushroom, and to identify and describe the structure of its parts.
2. To examine and describe the tissue from the cap, stalk, and gills using a microscope.

MATERIALS
commercial microscope slide microscope hand lens
mushroom cover slip white paper
scalpel water beaker
forceps dropper dissecting needle
PROCEDURE
1. Examine one of the mushrooms. Observe and describe the colour, appearance, texture, etc. of the cap,
stalk, and gills. Record your observations in the chart provided on the Student Worksheet.
2. Carefully pull the cap from the stalk. With the scalpel, slice both pieces in half from top to bottom.
3. Using the forceps, remove some tissue from the interior of the stalk. Make a wet mount of this sample.
Spread the hyphae with the dissecting needle for clearer viewing.
4. Observe the prepared slide under high power of the compound microscope. Record your observations by
drawing a diagram in the space provided on the Student Worksheet. Once finished, clean off your slide.
5.
a. Prepare a wet mount of tissue from the cap. Observe under high power and record your
observations with a labelled diagram in the space provided on the Student Worksheet. Once
finished, clean off your slide.
b. Next prepare a wet mount of the tissue from the gills. Observe under high power and record your
observations with a labelled diagram in the space provided on the Student Worksheet. Once
finished, clean off your slide.
6. With the scalpel, carefully cut the stalk off the second mushroom even with the base of the cap. Take care
not to destroy the gill structure.
7. (To be done as a class) To make a spore print, place the mushroom cap gills down on a piece of white paper
and cover with an inverted beaker. Store in a safe place for two days.
8. Carefully remove the beaker and cap from the paper.
9. Observe the spores with a hand lens, and describe their colour and arrangement. Record your observations
in the space provided on the Student Worksheet.
10. Wash your hands with soap and water.
 NAME:Shruthi Konduru
ANATOMY OF A MUSHROOM LAB STUDENT WORKSHEET /10 C /10 I

OBSERVATIONS (Numbers correspond to procedure steps)

1. Table 1: Fungi Physical Characteristics /6 C
Characteristic
Part
Colour Texture Appearance Shape Other
White with Smooth and Smalll dents Regular semi
brown spots firm and sphere
discoloration -
Cap not pure white

Tan stained Squishy and Uneven, Cylindrical

white, bottom smooth yet Shallow indent
of stalk is firm + Easy to in the center,
Stalk primarily cut Stained with
brown various shade
of brown
Browish grey Soft and Like folded Ridged and
smooth + damp paper - thin thin
ridges
Gills

2. Fungi Diagrams

10. Spore print observations: /1 C

Spore print appears as a ring of thin brown streaks that are clearly not connected but are arranged as a
circle parallel to one another (arrangement resembles mushroom’s gills). Each streak is 0.35cm in
length and are dark brown in colour with several different shade inconsistencies due to smudging.
 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS /10 I
1.
a. What are the stalk, cap, and gills made of?

They are all made up of hyphae, comprised of hypha which are branching filaments found in all fungi.

b. How do their tissues differ in appearance when viewed with the microscope?
Stalk: Appeared as lined grouped streaks with several other shapes (shaded circles) present within the
streaks
Cap: Appeared as filled primarily with streaked circles with various blob like shapes scattered around
Gills: Appeared aligned in a line but in contrast to the stalk they were more streak like and spotted

2. How are the attached spores arranged on the gill hyphae?

They are densely arranged in a group faced parallel to one another while forming a ring-like shape.

3. Spore prints can be helpful in identifying different species of mushrooms. What

characteristics of the spore print could be used for this purpose?
Spore prints are unique coloured deposits from the spores of a mushroom. The shape of the spore print is
used to identify the shape of the spores. The colour of the spore print is unique to different species of
mushrooms, and therefore is helpful in species identification.

4. What characteristic of gill structure is responsible for mushrooms being classified as club
fungi?
The gill’s function involves spores called basidiospores, these reproducing spores are created by the
basidium, which is a club shaped structure. Mushrooms are classified in Basidiomycota phyla, therefore
they are also classified as club fungi because the club-like basidia found on the gills have an important
role in their structure and function.

5. Compare the structure of fungal spores with that of seeds. How is the difference related to
the numbers released for reproduction?
Chart of differences between structure of fungal spores and seeds

Fungal Spores Seeds

Unicellular Multicellular

Small Large

Haploid nucleus Diploid nucleus

Do not contain an embryo or endosperm Contain an embryo and endosperm

Fungal spores can reproduce both asexually or sexually while seeds are produced only through sexual
reproduction. Fungi can produce a lot of spores to ensure their survival and spread since they are better at
adapting to their environment due to their structure. In contrast, plants that produce seeds expend more
energy on creating bigger, more complex structures, which increase the likelihood of successful
reproduction and survival.

In general, the difference of structures associated with reproduction determines the difference in numbers
released for reproduction between fungal spores and seeds, with fungus producing many spores and
seed-bearing plants creating fewer but more complex structures.